UTTANASANA, VRIKHSASANA, AND VRISCHIKA ASANA

UTTANASANA

STANDING FORWARD BEND

THIS EXERCISE PROVIDES YOU A COMPLETE STRETCH OF THE UPPER BACK AND LOWER BACK, AS WELL AS THE LEG AND CALF MUSCLES. IN THIS EXERCISE, YOU LITERALLY STRETCH STRESS, TIREDNESS, AND STIFFNESS FROM THE BODY. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU LEARN HOW TO REST AND RELAX IN CASE OF DISCOMFORT AND EFFORT. UTTANASANA ALSO INCREASES THE FLOW OF BLOOD TO THE BRAIN.

STEPS 

 

1. START WITH THE MOUNTAIN POSE.
2. BEND YOUR KNEES, SUPPORT YOUR UPPER BODY WITHE A STRAIGHT LOWER BACK, AND SLOWLY BEND FORWARD SO THAT YOUR BELLY TOUCHES YOUR UPPER LEGS. MAINTAIN THE POSITION OF YOUR LOWER BACK OR ELSE YOUR CHEST WILL SINK. MOVE YOUR PELVIS, TAKING THE BACK AS THE STARTING POINT, RELAX YOUR GROINS, AND KEEP YOUR WEIGHT ON THE FRONT PARTS OF YOUR HEELS.
3. KEEP BREATHING CORRECTLY THROUGH YOUR BELLY AND SLOWLY STRETCH YOUR CHEST TO THE KNEES WITHOUT LOSING THE SUPPORT OF YOUR LOWER BACK. STRETCH YOR LEGS EVERYTIME YOU EXHALE.
4. YOUR PELVIS MOVES UPWARD FROM THE BACK UNTIL YOUR LEGS ARE EVENTUALLY STRETCHED. TOUCH THE GROUND OR GRAB YOUR ANKLES. STRETCH DOWNWARD FROM YOUR CROWN AND WHEN YOU HAVE GRABBED YOUR ANKLES, USE A SLIGHT STRETCHING FORCE TO LENGTHEN THE BODY. IF YOU LOSE THE SUPPORTIVE POWER OF THE LOWER BACK DURING THE EXERCISE, YOU LOSE A MAJOR PART OF ITS EFFECT. AS A RESULT, YOUR CHEST WILL SINK, MAKING YOUR BREATHIG IRREGULAR. ALSO, STRETCHING WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE. NOW, STAND UP STRAIGHT AGAIN AND JUMP BACK TO TADASANA.

BENEFITS

BEAR IN MIND THAT YOU PERFORM THIS FORWARD BEND THROUGH RELAXATION AND NOT THROUGH FORCE BY YOUR FEET WITH PHYSICAL STRENGTH. WHEN YOU PULL TOO HARD, THE BODY STIFFENS, YOUR THINKING AND BREATHING WILL BE AFFECTED AND WORST OF ALL, YOU RUN OF INJURING YOURSELF.

VRIKHSASANA

TREE POSE 

VRIKSHASANA MEANS TREE POSE. IN THIS ASANA, ONE STANDS STRAIGHT AND FIRM AS A TREE, HENCE THE NAME.

IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO STAND ON ONE LEG AND TO DO BUILDING A BETTER SENSE OF BALANCE. FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION ARE REQUIRED. IMAGINING TREE ROOTS GOIND DOWN FROM YOUR FOOT CAN GROUND YOU AND PROVIDE STABLITY. AS YOU DO THE POSE, LOOK AT A REAL TREE STANDING IN NATURE IF YOU CAN. IN THIS POSE, YOU ARE ROOTED AS TREE AS ARE, YET YOU ARE REACHING UP WITH YOUR TORSO TOWARDS THE ILLUMINATING BRILLIANCE OF THE SUN.  YOU CAN IMAGINE SUSTENANCE FROM THE EARTH COMING UPWARDS AND AT THE SAME TIME BRING IN THE ENERGY OF THE SUN FROM ABOVE INTO YOUR BODY.

VRIKSHASANA IS A BASIC YOGA POSE AND LOOKS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE AND YET PROVIDES A CHALLENGE, MOSTLY IN TRYING TO NOT FALL OVER. WHEN A PERSON FEELS SHAKY, DOING THE TREE POSE CAN MAKE HIM FEEL MORE STEADY AND GROUNDED. AS YOU ROOT DOWN TO THE GROUND IN THIS BALANCING POSE, YOU STAND TALL AND CONFIDENT.

STEPS

 

1. START WITH THE  MOUNTAIN POSE. VRIKSHASANA .
2. AS YOU EXHALE, PLACE YOUR LEFT FOOT ON THE INSIDE PART OF YOUR RIGHT LEG, CLOSETO THE GROIN AREA, WITH THE TOES POINTING DOWNWARD.
3. AS YOU INHALE, STRETCH YOUR ARMS SIDEWAYS TO FORM A "T", PALMS FACING DOWN.
4. AS YOU EXACTLY, BRING YOUR PALMS TOGETHER IN PRAYER POSITION.
5. RAISE YOUR ARMS OVERHEAD, KEEPING YOUR PALMS IN PRAYER POSITION. TO MAINTAIN BALANCE, IT HELPS TO FOCUS YOUR EYES ON ONE POINT IN FRONT OF YOU AND KEEP ON BREATHING THROUGH THE BELLY.

BENEFITS 

 

• THIS IMPROVES BODY-MINDED CO-ORDINATION.
• THIGH AND CALF MUSCLES, ANKLES AND THE SPINE ARE MADE STRONG.
• STRETCHES THE GROINS AND INNER THIGHS, CHEST AND SHOULDERS.
• IMPROVES SENSE OF BALANCE.
• RELIEVES SCIATICA AND REDUCES FLAT FEET.

VRISCHIKA-ASANA

SCORPION POSE

"VRISCHIKA" IS THE SANSKRIT WORD FOR SCORPION. THIS POSTURE IS SO NAMED BECAUSE THE BODY RESEMBLES A SCORPTION WITH ITS TAIL ARCHED ABOVE ITS HEAD READY TO STING ITS VICTIM. ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE NOT BE A SIMPLE POSTURE FOR BEGINNERS TO PERFORM, THIS ASANA IS NOT SO DIFFICULT AS IT MAY AT FIRST SEEM.

HOLD THE VRISCHIKA-ASANA FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE COMFORTABLE. KEEP IN MIND THAT RETURNING FROM THE POSTURE GRACEFULLY WITHOUT FALLING OUT OF IT WILL TAKE SOME STRENGTH, SO DON'T HOLD IT TOO LONG. 20-30 SECONDS IS FINE FOR EARLY ATTEMPTS, INCREASE THE TIME GRADUALLY AS YOU BECOME MORE PROFICIENT.

STEPS

 

1. STARTING FROM THE HEADSTAND, BEND THE KNEES AND BEGIN TO BRING THE FEET SLOWLY DOWN TOWARDS THE HEAD. ARCH THE ENTIRE BODY BACKWARDS, BEING SURE TO KEEP THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY ON THE ELBOWS.
2. RELEASE THE INTER-LOCKED FINGERS SLOWLY, AND MOVE YOUR HANDS APART, BRINGING THEM TO LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HEAD. FEEL CONFIDENT IN THIS POSITION BEFORE CONTINUING. INHALE DEEPLY AS YOU PAUSE BEFORE TRYING THE NEXT STEP.
3. KEEP THE BACK ARCHED, LIFT THE HEAD AS YOU BRING THE SHOULDERS BACK INTO A POSITION DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ELBOWS. YOU ARE NOW IN THE SCORPION POSITION. IT REQUIRES A GOOD DEAL OF CONCENTRATION, STRENGTH, AND UPPER BACK FLEXIBILITY. HOLD THE POSITION ONLY FOR AS LONG AS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE.

BENEFITS

 

THIS POSTURE WILL PROVIDE MAXIMUM STRETCH TO THE NECK, SPINE AND CHEST. IT COMBINES MANY OF THE BENEFITS OF THE CHAKRA-ASANA (THE WHEEL POSTURE) AND THE SIRSHA-ASANA (STANDING ON HEAD).